When students attack!
We now find what mayflowers bring: thesis shows!
Anna Fidler, known for her meticulous paper cutout fantasies, animated at www.mumbleboy.com/anna/gardenscape.html and her Stereobab-ish musical unit the Sensualists, shows her thesis work. The shift to more white space and saturated watercolor washes will open her work to more serious audiences while still preserving her work's dual arrows of beauty and sensuality straight to the heart. Not sure about the high contrast dots though..... A performance installation video documents her sculptural work outdoors. PSU Littman Gallery, Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 250 Monday - Friday, 12-4pm, Thursday 12-7pm
PNCA's BFA graduates pack a warren-like exhibition space with a wide variety of work at 1432 NW Johnson.
PNCA BFA Shawna Fererra, unable to be fenced in by the small spaces of the thesis studios, mounted a 1000+sf installation incorporating painting, drawing, sculpture, soundscape and video, themed on how we deal with the inevitable passing between life and death in our society. The project was ambitious, keep an eye on this artist's sensibility with video which can be seen in the abovementioned BFA exhibition space. Another artist's video involving aircraft in the back left corner downstairs is also excellent.
The UofO intermedia BFA show "Trans:express global culture" www.expressculture.com opens at 6 PM first Thursday with a party at 9. Why a state funded intermedia art department is in Eugene, rather than Portland, I've no idea. Anyway see what they are up to at 1875 SE Belmont
Galleries not open first Thursday or with unknown hours
A group show at PDX includes Malea Jensen's soap purse and new work by Brad Adkins made of common materials including water bottles, currency and tape - it works. James Lavador, a Native American artist gestures abstract landscapes of paint with plenty of emotion and perhaps a touch of his native sensibility just under their skin.
Plazm puts a distributed creative network to work, using "mass communication and problem-solving skills for the forces of good. And to inspire and assist others in creating more selfless, random acts of kindness". Hear, hear! Project Hello www.projecthello.org brings the abstraction of "the homeless" to ground zero now with individual portraits. See at 1640 NW Johnson not sure of the hours on this.
First Thursday events
Mary Mattingly's installation and strange/good artist's book is still on exhibit at the PNCA Feldman gallery. Contrast Mattingly's work with this month's show at Gallery 500.
The Everett Station lofts are often filled with great surprises of a good kind, go for yourself and see! Corner NW Everett and Broadway
Just be - Compound presents the drawings of Kenichi Hoshine. Sometimes Richter-like, but processed through that unique Japanese lens of constrained elegance and emotion, Hoshine's drawings are a inspiration for illustrators looking for a new direction. www.justbedesign.com/JBD03/main.html
Backspace Coffee www.backspace.bz presents "Line Forms" Arnold Pander's drawings and live painting with a DJ beginning at 8PM. Pander a well known graphic novel illustrator, prolific artist and independent filmmaker: www.pandermedia.com/bio.html 115 NW 5th
Gallery 500 presents Habitat: Human Life and Shelter as Installation. Organized by Portland artist Katrina Scotto Di Carlo it includes Di Carlo and 5 other UC Berkeley art grads who have been living for a week in the space and making installations with only materials brought with them from the Bay Area. Mayhem ensues. 420 SW Washington
Pulliam Deffenbaugh presents the paintings of Ken Kelly www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com/, compare these though to Ryan McGinness who has the cover of the current Giant Robot 36. 522 NW 12th Avenue
Froelich Gallery presents "First Person" a juried exhibition of self portraits". www.froelickgallery.com/ Marne Lucas' cover shot is easily one of the most successful pieces in the show. Whether Van Gogh's famous self portrait is representative of the genre can be debated, or whether you need to know the artist to feel the work, I don't know - but see for yourself. 817 SW 2nd
At Augen, the miniature paintings of Ajay Garg appear prosaic, but perhaps less so,when you learn they have been painted by a deaf Rajistani savant who often paints with a single haired brush. 817 SW 2nd
Friday
Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.com presents a group show curated by Terry Toedtemeier, Mariana Tres and Chris Bennett, brilliant points on a compass with three directions. See the newspace website for group crit gettogethers.
NAAU presents paintings by its cofounder Rose McCormick
The Hall Gallery presents a group show "Thrill of it All" Candice Lin, Ryan Boyle, Tim Sullivan, Claudia Mendoza, Jeff Kriksciun, Maggie Foster and Zachary Reno. Pot luck here as I haven't seen the show. 630 Se 3rd
Savage presents the new work of painter Jacqueline Ehlis who is experimenting with alternate painting processes including photographic and sculptural.
June 7,10,15,16,17 and points between
Like a Japanese monster that can never be killed, despite the best efforts of the OLCC, the church downstairs, developers, kung fu boomerangs and jazz, Disjecta embarks on its next quest for world domination. The organization has optioned a whole building to be developed as an art center right at ground zero across the street from the Burnside Bridgehead Project and Portland's guerilla skatepark: 230 E Burnside. For 2 weeks they throw open the doors to the raw space with art shows, music, performance and beer fuel. The event will surely be fun and raise money for the space as art center rather than shopping mall adjunct. Also it's a great opportunity to meet with other artists. Spend a little money if you can and say later "my art center" - if they don't earn the bucks, they loose their contract and no art center! Details at www.disjecta.org
Sat. June 4 Opening art show compiled by some kick ass curators FREE 6-10,
Tue June 7 K and Kill Rock Stars flavored rock plus some sort of dark diva band $6 8PM
Fri June 10 Hot performance jumprope girls, Double Dutchess vs hot perfromance jumprope girls, On the Double jump rope toe to toe with a DJ soundtrack. Act 2: a performance by Aviator - hot aerial dance troupe - a must see if you have ever wanted to fly.You would pay twice this to see them elsewhere, but Disjecta keeps it affordable. Get there on time $8 9PM
Fri June 17 Music meets art meets film with some giant locals (really giant) $5 9PM
Sat June 18 Art auction hosted by Power EBay Seller Andrew Dickinson and some of Portlands power indy artists, with music. A good opportunity to see some of the best of Portland art. FREE (it's OK to buy something if you can) 7-10PM
What is PICA? Ten years ago they were the Portland contemporary art rabblerousers dising museums and government art money with strings attached to the religious right. They specialized in bringing out of town artists, visual and performing, who were early in their careers and tearing up the art world. The dot com bust caused them to chop their visual arts programs and focus all their efforts on a 10 day performance festival called TBA in September. They are putting on a show of work by visual artists they have worked with in the past - valuable to see what work has been made by many now mid career artists.
June 10 - July 16 Open Wed - Sat, 12-6 pm FREE to PICA Members, $2 General NW 13th & Flanders
Lecture by Erika Blumenfeld, artist-in-residence at the Ballroom in Marfa, Texas. Blumenfeld was granted the rare opportunity to work in an astronomer's house at the McDonald Observatory's main peak. During her two-month stay, Blumenfeld created the video work Moving Light: Lunation 1011.Her piece explores the waxing and waning moonlight of a single 30-day lunation period using minimalist photosensitive materials Thursday, June 16, 7 pm NW 13th & Flanders FREE to PICA Members / $5 General Admission
Using Web technologies as their catalyst, the Portland nonprofit Born has been bringing together artists and writers to create experimental storytelling projects for almost a decade. Join editor Anmarie Trimble and art director Gabe Kean as they trace the evolution of Born's ideas. Bornmag.org will eat your computer but it sure is pretty, hmm...
June 15, 2005 - 6:00 to 8:00 pm $10 pre-registration / $15 at the door Details 2005.webvisionsevent.com/prese...ideas/
Portland State University, School of Business Auditorium, 631 SW Harrison, Room 190
Not art, but sustainability, June 8 brings a lecture by the city mayor of a model sustainable city in Brazil. $15 Details at illahee.org. It would probably be possible to view the videotape of the talk for free after the fact.
